An important element of the proper golf swing is the position of the arm during the swing. The swing should be controlled by the shoulders, with the arms preferably being held in a substantially straight position during the backswing, downswing and follow through after the ball has been hit. The arm must also be twisted or rotated to the appropriate angle relative to the normal, resting position. Maintaining the proper arm position during the golf swing maximizes the force of acceleration imparted on the ball by the face of the golf club. When the athlete improperly bends or rotates his arm during the swing, a transverse motion is produced which must be overcome during the remainder of the swing, reducing the force of acceleration exerted on the ball. Retaining the arm in the proper position throughout the swing is generally desirable in golf as well as other sports such as tennis, racquet ball, etc.
Various devices have been used to assist the athlete in improving their swing by maintaining the desired arm position during the entire swing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,837 discloses training devices which manually restricts movement of the arm during part or all of the swing. The disclosed device holds the arm in a straight position during the swing when the device is worn. However, such a device may interfere with the athlete's movement and the athlete may return to the undesired arm position once the device is removed from the arm. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,809,042 and 3,419,276 disclose devices which provide the athlete with a signal when the athlete improperly bents his arm at the elbow during the swing. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,660,829, 5,108,103 and 5,324,038 disclose devices for developing the proper wrist position relative to the rest of the arm during the swing. An athlete may use the disclosed devices to detect undesirable bending of the arm or wrist. However, the athlete will still have problems with his swing if he rotates or twists his arm.